A new primary school will be included in plans for the Newcastle Education Campus, but is unlikely to be built in the near future.
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MP Anthony D'Adam asked Department of Education School Infrastructure NSW chief executive Anthony Manning at Tuesday's Education Budget Estimates hearing for an update on the campus.
"That's still progressing, we're into the next phase of that planning," Mr Manning said. "The business case is in and we're working with Treasury on the business case."
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Mr D'Adam asked if the campus would include a new primary school.
"I think we have previously committed that we would certainly be master-planning for the new primary school... at this stage it's master-planning for the primary school so we make sure it fits," Mr Manning said.
Mr D'Adam asked if this meant the department had not made a final decision about the school and there was still "wriggle room".
"I think from a demographic perspective we're confident that there will be a need for a primary school but we don't think we need that primary school immediately," Mr Manning said.
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"As part of the redevelopment of the high school we'd make sure that we quarantine and produce a design for a primary school. As and when that need crystallises from a demographic perspective we can progress quite quickly with the primary school delivery."
Mr Manning said most projects are multi-staged "so this will be the next stage of that process and as part of developing the project we'll have a series of master plans that talk about how both the high school and the primary school will continue to develop over time".
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said the "secrecy" surrounding the controversial project "has been something else".
"This business case has been delayed over and over again, and it shouldn't take a Budget Estimates hearing to get this basic information about its submission," Mr Crakanthorp said.
"There will be a need and the primary school needs to be delivered and that means in the first stages of the development, not just worked into a plan that will sit at the back of a drawer."
Mr Manning said he would have to take a question on notice about how much of the $5.6 million allocated to the project in this year's budget had been spent and what work had been completed.
He said a contractor would be appointed in mid 2022.
Mr D'Adam asked if there had been any "active consideration" about building a high school on its land at Medowie, saying thousands of students travelled to Raymond Terrace for school.
"I'd have to take that on notice, it's not a name that jumps to mind," Mr Manning said.
"I know that we are working on Hunter River and Irrawang high schools. We would continue to own [the site], absolutely."
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Helen Gregory
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
Helen Gregory joined the Newcastle Herald in 2010. She is the masthead’s education reporter and has written for the H2 and Weekender sections, as well as across a range of issues. Helen is a Walkley Award winning journalist and was also part of the Newcastle Herald team that won the United Nations World Environment Day Media Award for Environmental Reporting.
